He’s one of the most popular local products in the Edmonton Eskimos locker-room and a former first-overall draft pick.

But that didn’t stop Simeon Rottier from being singled out by general manager Ed Hervey, who unleashed on the team’s 1-8 place in the standings in a rare press conference earlier this week.

In fact if anything, Rottier’s high-profile draft status — and the salary that likely accompanies it — have played against him this year

“Clearly Simeon has not lived up to expectations,” Hervey said Tuesday.

“Simeon will not play Friday. It would not bother me if Simeon did not play another down this year.”

On Wednesday morning, Rottier and the rest of the Eskimos practised for the first time since losing 37-34 in Monday’s Labour Day Classic in Calgary.

“You’ve still got to be a professional and show up to work every day,” Rottier said.

“It’s just the nature of the business, being 1-8, so we’re just going to focus on getting the win on Friday and I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team do that.

“That’s not something I’m worried about.

“It sucks for me to be talking about this right now because I should be playing better, so I wish that we weren’t 1-8 and if we get three more points in a couple of those games then we wouldn’t be talking about this.”

Head coach Kavis Reed was quick to jump to the defence of his offensive lineman.

“Simeon is a character individual,” the coach said. “He’s a young man that exudes what we say is the Eskimo Way, that is his character.

“It is unbelievable, that man’s resolve. He is just an example of that locker-room as a whole so we feel that whatever will come, will come.”

At the same time, Reed acknowledged performance issues exist and said there have been many a sit-down between himself, Rottier and offensive line coach Kris Sweet — who turned down interview requests on Wednesday — to try and find out why.

“Simeon will tell you that he hasn’t been Simeon-like in a very long time. Simeon is his own worst critic,” said Reed, pointing to last year’s arm-wrenching incident from Khalif Mitchell and switching guard positions twice since coming to Edmonton last year.

“For whatever reason, right now his game is not where it has been and we have to continue to battle through to get it back.”

As for whether or not he starts on Friday, Reed said discussions were being held Wednesday night.

“Nothing has been closed in regards to Simeon, we’re working through it,” Reed said. “I’m not going to speak for Ed, but I will extrapolate and say that Ed is not giving up on Simeon. Like Simeon, we are disappointed in the performance.”

While character is one thing, it’s wins and losses that count toward playoffs.

“We play in a results-based industry,” Matthew O’Donnell said. “I’m looking at it too like we’ve all got to play better. But everyone on the team has to be looking at themselves, not pointing the finger. Right now, I’m just worried about making myself look good, making the team look good and just trying to help get this win at home.

“None of us played very well, and we all know that. I screwed up a few plays myself, I could have as easily been called out, just like he did.”

So, why then just Rottier?

“From the O-line perspective, I feel like this is a chance for me to step up and be a leader and I’d rather it be me than someone else because I know more is expected of me,” Rottier said. “It hasn’t always been easy this year necessarily believing in myself coming off of the way things went last year.